Main menu

Tag Archives: Cienfuegos

The entrance to El Lagarto, a paladar (privately owned restaurant) in ground level rooms of a private home overlooking the bay in the Punta Gorda district of Cienfuegos, Cuba

Until a few years ago, restaurants in Cuba were government owned. That changed with the opening up of some (licensed) private enterprises, including restaurants, repair shops, taxi services (using restored Classic Cars), etc. The privately run restaurants – often in a room or several rooms of a private house –called paladares, are generally regarded as far superior to the government run restaurants and are eagerly sought out by tourist visitors. The main staples of the Cuban diet, which comprise the main fare in many of the paladares, are rice and beans (“Christians and Moors”), rice, pork, chicken, plantains (especially fried plantain chips), and beer. Upscale paladares are now exploring fusion Cuban cuisine with much creativity coming forth in the past few years

The main dining room at El Lagarto, Cienfuegos, Cuba, was built on a covered patio, overlooking the bay

In Cienfuegos we enjoyed a very good luncheon overlooking the bay from our table at El Lagarto, a family run establishment that was several years old and very popular in the Punta Gorda district. (A note from Wikipedia: “Paladar is a term that in Spanish translates literally to “Palatal” and used with that meaning in the Spanish speaking world, however in Cuba is used exclusively to refer to restaurants run by self-employers.”)

Our “starters” began with fried slices of local plantains, luncheon at El Lagarto, Cienfuegos, Cuba

Our “starters” continued with a nice selection of fresh fruit, luncheon at El Lagarto, Cienfuegos, Cuba

With a thunderstorm approaching, the brightly painted “Adirondack-style” chairs on the dock adjacent to the restaurant were empty, luncheon at El Lagarto, Cienfuegos, Cuba

For a starter we enjoyed fried eggplant topped with melted cheese and salad, luncheon at El Lagarto, Cienfuegos, Cuba

One main dish was a mixed grill (chicken, pork and lamb) with the traditional side dishes of rice and beans and yucca and squash, luncheon at El Lagarto, Cienfuegos, Cuba

A second (and outstanding) main dish was sliced pork from a whole barbequed pork leg with the traditional side dishes, luncheon at El Lagarto, Cienfuegos, Cuba; for dessert we enjoyed a traditional flan (not pictured)

Walking back through the city after our enjoyable and filling luncheon at El Lagarto, Cienfuegos, Cuba

After our tours in Cienfuegos, Cuba, I spent a couple of hours walking around on my own — this was a surprise, as we had assumed that U.S. tourists might be restricted in the areas they could visit — through the neighborhoods surrounding the Central Zone until twilight, meeting people on the street and observing daily life. Portraits of some of the locals are presented below.

Local musicians, members of the local chapter of UNEAC (Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba), performing their Afro-Cuban musical compositions for us in the Jardines (gardens) de la UNEAC near the Parque José Martí in the Central Zone of Cienfuegos, Cuba

Our local tour operator, Cuba Educational Travel (CET), arranged a very good architectural and cultural walking tour of Cienfuegos which included a visit to the local chapter of UNEAC (Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba), where we had the opportunity to listen to a lively Afro-Cuban musical performance, written and performed by local musicians. Around Parque José Martí in the Central Zone we visited a number of art studios and galleries where frequently we met the artists and had a chance to talk with them.

We had the opportunity to see a lot of local art at the Galería de Arte, operated by UNEAC in Cienfuegos, Cuba, next door to the Jardines de la UNEAC

“The National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba, UNEAC) is a social, cultural and professional organization of writers, musicians, actors, painters, sculptors, and artist of different genres. It was founded on August 22, 1961, by the Cuban poet, Nicolas Guillen. Initially their objective was uniting the intellectuals within the young Cuban Revolution to maintain a genuine Cuban culture.” – Wikipedia

Local artist Adrian Rumbaut holding his original Time magazine cover featuring historic revolutionary Cubans, in front of his wall collage at the Galería de Arte, Cienfuegos, Cuba

Palacio de Valle at Punta Gorda, built by a wealthy sugar merchant and completed in 1917, was a casino during the Batista days; highlighted by turquoise, Moorish-style tiles and three dissimilar towers, it wouldn’t seem out of place in a Disney fairytale; Cienfuegos, Cuba

Our first blog on Cienfuegos, Cuba, focused on the Central Zone and the historic government and religious buildings around Parque José Martí. In addition to walking around the colonnaded central zone we had the opportunity to explore the area around Punta Gorda to the south, with its beautiful villas and palaces built by the moneyed classes in the 1920s. After our tours I spent a couple of hours walking around on my own through the neighborhoods surrounding the Central Zone until twilight (see below). Portraits of some of the locals will follow in a subsequent blog post.

The view towards Parque de Diversiones and the east side of Cienfuegos, Cuba, from one of the towers of Palacio de Valle at Punta Gorda where we had local rum drinks on the rooftop

The dilapidated remains of a former villa as we walked south from Palacio de Valle at Punta Gorda, Cienfuegos, Cuba, toward the point and lunch at El Lagarto (see our upcoming “Eat Local” blog post)

A strikingly colorful restored section of a home in Punta Gorda, Cienfuegos, Cuba, with our ship at anchor in the bay

One of many classic (American) cars from the 1950s that we saw in Cienfuegos, Cuba (and other Cuban cities) – a Crown Victoria Pan Am from around 1957; note that due to the high price of gasoline, most people use public transportation or walk or bicycle

Daily constitutionals late in the afternoon after a pretty heavy rainstorm in a residential neighborhood near Parque José Martí in the Central Zone of Cienfuegos, Cuba

Our local tour operator for our entire Cuba trip was an exceptional company, Cuba Educational Travel (CET) – a leader in cultural travel to Cuba. Founded by Collin Laverty, a leading expert on Cuba and U.S.-Cuba relations, CET unlocked the best of Cuba by providing access to the country’s top artists, academics, tastemakers, and cultural figures. CET’s tailor-made programs enabled us to experience Cuba’s vibrant culture and gain a deeper understanding of the island, while ensuring full compliance with all U.S. regulations. CET has been awarded two OFAC licenses for People-to-People travel and Mr. Laverty regularly appears on CNN, CNBC, NBC, and MSNBC to discuss the dynamics of U.S.-Cuba relations.

A beautifully restored early 1950s Plymouth in a residential neighborhood near Parque José Martí in the Central Zone of Cienfuegos, Cuba

Stray dogs are to be found all around the cities, fed by the local residents – this one was keeping watch over a neighborhood street at dusk, Cienfuegos, Cuba

A quiet moment late in the afternoon in a bar near Parque José Martí in the Central Zone of Cienfuegos, Cuba

While not unseen, there aren’t a lot of cars of recent vintage on the street – most are restored American classic cars from 1950 to 1959 (the year of the Cuban Revolution under Che Guevara and Fidel Castro), Cienfuegos, Cuba

An old “classic” car, awaiting parts and labor for restoration, sitting on “blocks” on a neighborhood street in Cienfuegos, Cuba

One of many composite images evoking memories of a visit to Cuba – on the street in Cienfuegos, Cuba

Cuba. The name evokes numerous mental images and memories – rum, cigars, music, Hemingway, fishing (“The Old Man and the Sea”), Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders (the Spanish-American War of 1898), Revolution (1959) — Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, American cars of the 1950s, the US – Cuban missile crisis of 1962, Guantanamo, and many more. Given the past strict restrictions on American tourists visiting Cuba, we were very excited when we learned that our ship was planning a visit to Cuba toward the end of 2017, especially after President Obama relaxed some of the restrictions. However, a week before our visit, President Trump’s new tightening of the rules went into effect. Fortunately, our trip (through the excellent Cuban organization, Cuba Educational Travel) was planned to meet the U.S. travel restrictions (commonly referred to as the Cuban Embargo) on U.S. citizens. While we were not able to dock in Havana, our trip along the southern coast of Cuba took us to Cienfuegos, Cayo Largo, and Santiago, with an optional three-day overland visit that we took to Havana, between Cienfuegos and Santiago.

Located on Bahía de Cienfuegos, a bay on Cuba’s south coast, Cienfuegos was lovingly nicknamed in colonial times the “Pearl of the South.” A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the capital of the province, Cienfuegos city, is one of the most beautiful villages in Cuba and the only town in Cuba with strong French historical roots and architectural influences. Although the city’s name means “100 Fires,” it was actually named for Don Jose Cienfuegos, the Spanish Captain General who, in 1817, approved a plan to settle French émigrés from Bordeaux and Louisiana in the area. Located 151 miles (244 km) from Havana, the city prospered as a port for sugar and cattle. Today, the city forms two contrasting zones: the colonnaded central zone with its stately Paseo del Prado and graceful park; and Punta Gorda, with its beautiful villas and palaces built by the moneyed classes in the 1920s. The city today has a population of 149,000.

The Arco de Triunfo (Arch of Triumph) at the entrance to Parque José Martí, (also known as the Plaza de Armas) in the Central Zone, a National Monument surrounded by key government and religious structures, is dedicated to the workers of the town and Cuban Independence Day (20 May 1902), Cienfuegos, Cuba

The significance of 20 May 1902 (before the Cuban Revolution of 1959): “Before 1959, Cuba celebrated May 20th as Independence Day. We were told in school that an independent republic had been born, that Spanish domination had ended and we had full freedom. All this of course, thanks to the “generous help” of the government of the United States, whom we should eternally be grateful to. Our history had been tampered with, to please the individual interest of the then governments and their imperial masters. The cruel truth was that on May 20th, 1902 Cuba had stopped being a Spanish colony only to turn into a neo colony of the United States of America.” – http://www.Voltairenet.org, Source: Cuban Agency News

On the north side of Parque José Martí is Teatro Tomas Terry and several historic buildings, Cienfuegos, Cuba

Local citizens flock to the pavilion in the center of Parque José Martí in order to access the internet via the local phone company’s WiFi network – the Internet came to Cuba only two years ago; Cienfuegos, Cuba

Catedral de la Purisima Concepcion (Holy Church Pure Concepción Cathedral) dates from 1869 and is distinguished by its French stained-glass windows, Cienfuegos, Cuba

The arcade next to Teatro Tomas Terry, across from Parque José Martí, is now filled with artist studios and galleries, Cienfuegos, Cuba

Teatro Tomas Terry, with its gold-leaf mosaics and ceiling frescoes, was built in 1889 and designed for 1,200 people — one of the largest capacity theaters in the Caribbean, Cienfuegos, Cuba

Our visit coincided with the end of the rainy season (Hurricane Maria had brushed the island only weeks before our visit), yielding this nice reflection at the edge of Parque José Martí; Cienfuegos, Cuba

This colonial era building with a cupola is the structure pictured in the reflection, above; Cienfuegos, Cuba

A government-run cigar store across from the Parque José Martí had a great collection of local cigars, Cienfuegos, Cuba

A close-up of some of the finest Cuban cigars at the store, Cienfuegos, Cuba